COMPARE · Data as of August 21, 2026
BMI vs CGNX
Verdict: Side-by-side breakdown using the Bull Rankings model. BMI scored 59.1, CGNX scored 54.9 — BMI leads.
Compare another set
BMI
Badger Meter, Inc.
59.1
$131.81 · $3.8B
fundamentals as of
Score gap
4.2
BMI leads
CGNX
Cognex Corporation
54.9
$60.54 · $10.2B
fundamentals as of
At a glance · who leads each dimension, on the model's own rules
- CheapestBMI30.9x
- Fastest growthCGNX+17.1%
- Strongest balance sheetBMI0.03
- Highest qualityBMI87 / 100
Side by side · every name on one set of axes
Growth against the P/E multiple. Up and to the right is cheaper and faster — the quality-growth idea in one picture. Points beyond the axis are pinned to the edge and marked off-scale rather than allowed to compress everything else.
The model, pillar by pillar (0–100 each)
BMI
stronger →← stronger
CGNX
87
Qualityreturns · margins · balance sheet
73
46
Growthrevenue & earnings expansion
79
51
Valuevaluation vs sector peers
29
BMI is stronger on 2 of 3 pillars.
Fundamentals, head-to-head
BMI
CGNX
$150mC
FCF
$268mC
+0.8%C
Rev
+17.1%B+
0.03A-
D/E
0.04A-
30.9xB
P/E
58.2xC
3.17D
PEG
2.71C
Winner per row is the stronger grade; where grades tie, the better figure breaks it. A true tie or a missing value shows no highlight.
Valuation · DCF cross-check
BMI
CGNX
4% above
Price vs fair valuelower is cheaper
153% above
~8%/yr
Growth the price implies10-yr FCF · lower = less priced in
~38%/yr
-13%
1-yr DCF upside
-68%
-4%
5-yr DCF upside
-60%
+12%
10-yr DCF upside
-48%
The DCF is a cross-check on intrinsic value, separate from the quality-growth score above.
Model signals
BMI
Why this score
- Raising its dividend
- Durable high returns
CGNX
Why this score
- Raising its dividend
The companies
BMIBadger Meter, Inc.
Why now
Scientific & Technical Instruments · market cap $3.8b. Down 35% from 52-week high of $204.00 — deep drawdown territory. 9 sell-side analysts publish a mean 1-yr target of $155.44 (implying +18% upside).
Moat
Net margin 14% beats the market median by a meaningful margin — the company is keeping more of every revenue dollar than the average S&P constituent. ROE 18% sits above Buffett's preferred 15% threshold — the equity base is compounding at a rate the market struggles to discount accurately. FCF converts 120% of net income — earnings translate cleanly into cash, a sign that working capital and capex are well-disciplined.
Risk
Down 35% from the 52-week high — the market is pricing in something the screen can't see; verify the bear case before sizing up. Trailing P/E 31x sits well above the S&P median (~20x) — multiple compression is a real risk if revenue growth decelerates.
CGNXCognex Corporation
Why now
Scientific & Technical Instruments · market cap $10.2b. 17% off the 52-week high of $72.88. Revenue growing +17%, comfortably above the S&P median. 19 sell-side analysts rate this a Buy with a mean 1-yr target of $80.05 (implying +32% upside).
Moat
Net margin 16% beats the market median by a meaningful margin — the company is keeping more of every revenue dollar than the average S&P constituent. ROE 11% meets the long-run market sustainable threshold — solid but not differentiated; the durability comes from elsewhere. FCF converts 153% of net income — earnings translate cleanly into cash, a sign that working capital and capex are well-disciplined.
Risk
Trailing P/E 58.2x prices in sustained high growth — any quarter that disappoints triggers sharp re-rating. Beta 1.50 implies above-market volatility — position-size to the drawdowns this name will produce in a market correction, not to its bull-case return.
Verdict — model-derived comparison
Generating verdict… typically 5–10 seconds
Not investment advice. The Bull Rankings publishes a quantitative ranking model and accompanying analysis for general informational purposes only. Nothing on this page is a recommendation to buy, sell, or hold any security; nothing is personalized to your circumstances, risk tolerance, or tax situation. Investing carries the risk of loss — invest at your own risk and consider consulting a licensed financial professional before acting on anything you read here. See terms and methodology for full disclosures.
Where BMI and CGNX diverge
On the headline score the gap is 4.2 points in favor of BMI. They get there differently, though — each leads on a different pillar, so the better pick depends on which you weight.
- GrowthBMI 46.4 · CGNX 79.3CGNX +32.9
- ValueBMI 51.0 · CGNX 28.6BMI +22.4
- QualityBMI 87.2 · CGNX 73.1BMI +14.1
Pillars run 0–100 against sector peers, so a score is a statement about a company relative to its own industry rather than to the other name here. A wide Value gap usually means the market already prices the difference in quality or growth — which is the trade-off this comparison comes down to.